DOCUMENT GSC 15 -PLEN-50 FOR Presentation SOURCE

DOCUMENT #: GSC 15 -PLEN-50 FOR: Presentation SOURCE: ISACC AGENDA ITEM: Opening Plenary (6. 10) CONTACT(S): COLMAN HO Conformance and Interoperability Testing Colman Ho ISACC Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) GSC-15

Overview § Introduction • Global digital economy • Global Trends in standards setting § Importance of interoperability • Benefits • Penalties of non interoperability § § § WTSA 2008 Resolution 76 New Paradigm for SDOs Implications for affected parties Challenges Proposed Resolution 2

The Global Digital Economy § Underscores the significance of the digital divide to economic growth and stability § Provides focus for the disadvantages of partial or no ability to participate in the global digital economy e. g. • fosters social unrest and human misery • promotes isolation, distrust and extremism Global telecom standards and interoperable systems have a crucial positive role to play 3

Multiple Players in standards making § Many Forums, Consortia, Regional bodies and proprietary standards makers § Competition for “driver/ownership role” in standards making § “Ownership” includes ownership of process, participants, schedule and outcome § Many potential players are excluded from meaningful participation Standards-making in the 21 st Century is a competitive business 4

New Paradigm for SDOs § Key elements of telecom standards development in 21 st Century for competitive SDOs: • natural language standard • formal description of standard using FDTs • test suites and test methodology for the standard • testing for conformance with the standard • interoperability testing including conformant products embedded in systems 5

Definition of Interoperability in the context of Telecom systems and products § Interoperability is a property referring to the ability of diverse systems and products to work together (inter-operate). • Standards and conformance to standards is the fundamental basis for interoperability – a necessary but insufficient condition • Cooperation and peer recognition of competence based on trusted credentials is the basis for sharing test results to minimize costs of testing 6

Root Causes of Non-Interoperability § Fundamentally incompatible systems • non standard or inaccessible interfaces • proprietary closed solutions § Inadequate specification of system requirements • errors and omissions in definition of requirements § Incompatible selection of options in standards • incomplete understanding of legacy and outside network points of interconnection and interfacing § Inconsistent or inaccurate interpretation of the standards • lack of formal specifications and imprecision of natural language text • absence of conformance testing data for standard implementation § Poor understanding of the technology and standards • need for capacity building especially in developing countries 7

Current global state of Interoperability of Telecom Products and Systems § Many countries plagued by non-interoperable products and systems – therefore unable to participate fully in the digital economy e. g. delivery of e-services such as health and education § WTSA 2008 Resolution 76 was a plea for help from the Developing world to deal with non interoperability 8

WTSA 2008 Resolution 76 on Conformance and Interoperability Resolves that: 1. ITU-T Study Groups develop the necessary conformance testing ITU-T Recommendations as soon as possible; 2. ITU-T Recommendations to address interoperability testing shall be progressed as soon as possible; 3. ITU-T in collaboration with the other Sectors as appropriate, shall develop a program to assist developing countries in capacity-building, training opportunities, regional/sub-regional test centers in Conformance and Interoperability testing; 4. Conformance and Interoperability testing requirements shall provide for verification of the parameters defined in ITU-T Recommendations 9

Implications of Res 76 implementation for affected parties § § § Manufacturers/Suppliers: • Fears that time to market may be slowed • Fears that marketplace confusion could result from false, misleading or otherwise erroneous claims of interoperability • Positive potential that more robust global standards with test suites and facilitated plug fests may produce benefits and savings ITU-T • Need to develop precise understanding of causes of non interoperability • Need to ramp up and maintain version control in a database of conforming and interoperable products and systems • Need to negotiate arrangements with plug test facilitators and existing database holders • Need to initiate capacity building in developing countries including test facilities • New and more vigorous participants in ITU-T standards development work may ensue Developing Countries • Database assists with product and system component choices • Still requires diligence and careful analysis to achieve desired level of interoperability 10

Some challenges of Interoperability Testing and Facilitation of Test Fests § Rapid pace of technology development § Huge variety of application areas § Decisions on which standards and minimum sets of options for each test fest § How are decisions made (process) and by whom? § Range of complexity of test fests, from simple products and access systems to complex core network systems § Costs of interoperability testing § Arrangement and announcements of participants and hosting of test fest § Commercial confidentiality and protection of IPR § Issues related to database posting of results and posting of results from other test fest hosts § Establishment of a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) framework among peers involved in C&I testing to minimize costs of testing 11 § Version control and maintenance of up to date results

GSC Resolution to assist the ITU-T in implementation of Res 76 § ISACC recognizes that: • ITU-T is the pre-eminent global standards development body for telecommunications; • GSC creation was to assist in setting the ITU-T’s agenda and foster collaboration among GSC members; • differing views exist as to the efficacy of the ITU-Ts implementation plans for Res 76; • SDOs, to be competitive in the marketplace, must produce more than just paper standards. § ISACC proposes that • GSC members resolve to establish a mechanism for dialogue (such as a GSC Task Force), taking into account the ITU-T through the JCA CIT, to ensure that all views are tabled and that all possible assistance is rendered to implement Res 76 as expeditiously as 12 possible

Proposed Resolution 13

THANK YOU 14

Appendix 15

Small slice of ICT standards development organizations ACCREDITED BODIES Information Technology Telecommunication/ICTs Global Regional National Industry Canada FORA & CONSORTIA 16

Res. 76 Instructs the Director of TSB 1. To cooperate with BR & BDT, to conduct exploratory activities in each region to identify and prioritize the problems faced by developing countries; 2. Based on results of 1 above instructs the Director of TSB, to study the items below: a) the overall effect on ITU and manufacturers b) legal and national and international regulatory implications c) cost of set up of facility d) location of testing facility e) measures to be taken to build the necessary human resource capacities 17

Res. 76: Instructs the Study Groups 1. To identify as soon as possible those existing and future ITU-T Recommendation candidates for interoperability tests, e. g. interoperability of NGN equipment, terminals, audio video codecs, access and transport network that are capable of providing end-to-end interoperable services on a global scale 2. To prepare those ITU-T Recommendations with a view to conducting conformity and interoperability tests as appropriate 18